Shri Shivananda Sena (Disappearance)

Every year one month before chaturmasya (four month period of the rainy season) Shivananda Sena would lead a party of two hundred Devotees from Bengal to Jagannatha Puri to attend the annual Ratha-Yatra festival. He would pay for everyone's food, tolls, ferries, and lodging. He personally arranged for their comfort.

Shivananda Sena showed Vaishnava compassion for all living entities, be they man or beast. When a stray dog joined the party Shivananda Sena fed the dog and even paid his boat fare. When the dog disappeared one day Shivananda sent 200 men to search for him. Upon arriving in Puri, they saw Lord Chaitanya throwing coconut pulp to the dog. The dog became purified of all material contamination by eating the Maha-Prasadam remnants of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Not seeing the dog the next day, Shivananda Sena understood that the dog had attained liberation by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya.

Observing chaturmasya in Puri, Shivananda and the Devotees would regularly bathe in Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's blissful association. Shivananda used all his possessions in the service of Krishna and the Vaishnavas. His entire family and servants were ardent followers of Lord Gauranga.

Kavi Karnapura, the son of Shivananda Sena, says in Gaura-gannodesh-dipika: "Shivananda Sena is the embodiment of love of Shri Chaitanya Deva. And in Krishna lila he is Vira gopi, Shrimati Radharani's messenger." In one bhajana Devakinandana Dasa glorifies him: "I bow down to Shivananda Sena, who is full of divine love. His caste, life, and wealth are the two lotus feet of Shri Gaura Raya." His samadhi is in the 64 Samadhis Area.